Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40640101›Full record

ArticleNutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia2025

Cultural immersion: Embedding Torres Strait Islander (Melanesian) history, culture, diet and health in dietetics curricula.

Bobby Porykali, Genus Passi, Anna Rangan, Margaret Allman-Farinelli, Juliana Chen, Lucy Egelton, Margaret Nicholson, Merryl Ireland, Jacquelin Vidor, Jacqueline W S Chan and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Nutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Cultural immersion: Embedding Torres Strait Islander (Melanesian) history, culture, diet and health in dietetics curricula.Nutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Bobby PorykaliGuunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1702-9008
Genus PassiNAMU Consultancy, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Anna RanganDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1815-844X
Margaret Allman-FarinelliDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6478-1374
Juliana ChenDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2844-6947
Lucy EgeltonDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0009-0003-9037-9885
Margaret NicholsonDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Merryl IrelandDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jacquelin VidorDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jacqueline W S ChanDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6260-9872
Michelle DicksonSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0713-7803
Alyse DaviesDiscipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9448-7539

Funding

Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney (funding for the cultural immersion day)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsTo describe a Torres Strait (Melanesian) cultural immersion delivered to dietetics students at a large university in Australia and to understand whether cultural immersion supports the development of students' knowledge and skills in relation to specific Dietitians Australia performance criteria.

methodsThe cultural immersion was co-designed, analysed, and reported through an iterative process with a Torres Strait immersion educator from the Eastern Islands, a First Nations researcher, and a dietetics academic. The cultural immersion included an opening ceremony, four station rotations of creation stories through weaving; food preparation; artefacts and cultural dance; and yarning about health, as well as a closing ceremony. A mixed methods approach was used. Data from pre- and post-surveys were analysed with Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test or paired t-test, and integrated with the thematic analysis of focus group interviews to provide context, depth and perspectives.

resultsForty-eight students completed pre- and post-surveys, and 25 participated in focus groups. Through working at the knowledge interface, students' general knowledge on Torres Strait Islander history, culture, diet and health increased (all p < 0.001). The cultural immersion supported the development of competence through reframing the narrative and experiential learning, impacted their journey as dietitians by promoting reflection, and increased their perceived confidence in working with Torres Strait Islander populations in a health setting.

conclusionsThis cultural immersion enriched dietetics students' understanding of Torres Strait Islander history, culture, diet, and health. Cultural immersion is one teaching method that can be used within an integrated suite of education strategies to support the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health competencies.

Indexed as

Cultural CompetencyCurriculumDietDieteticsAdultAustraliaAustralian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeoplesCultureFemaleFocus GroupsHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMaleNutritionistsStudentsUniversitiescultural immersiondieteticspedagogiesTorres Strait Islander

Identifiers

PMID40640101
PMCPMC12583901

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.